A documentarian looks at 'The Mormons'

Filmmaker walks a fine line: She tries to neither promote nor detract

By Scott D. Pierce
Deseret Morning News
Published: Friday, April 27, 2007 12:27 a.m. MDT
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Additional information:

After you watch ...

   » Tell us what you thought about the PBS documentary "The Mormons." Send an e-mail to respond@desnews.com.

If you watch ...

   » What: "The Mormons," a two-part, four-hour documentary

   » When: Monday and Tuesday, 8-10 p.m.

   » Channels: KUED-Ch. 7 and KBYU-Ch. 11

   » Also: KUED and KBYU will air a local discussion of "The Mormons" during a special edition of "Utah NOW," May 4, 8 p.m.

Anyone who's planning to use the two-part, four-hour PBS documentary "The Mormons" in Sunday School at their local ward is going to be sorely disappointed.

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But then so is anyone who's planning to hang copies of the program on doorknobs to convince members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to abandon their faith.

"The Mormons" is not a faith-promoting missionary tool. Although it might turn out to be that for some.

Neither is it an anti-Mormon diatribe. Though some people might see it that way at times.

"The Mormons" is a documentary. Award-winning filmmaker Helen Whitney doesn't take an advocacy position — she neither promotes nor rails against the LDS Church.

She brought great enthusiasm to the project — she did spend more than three years working on it, after all. In an interview with the Deseret Morning News, Whitney's voice rose in delight as she talked about subjects ranging from "Joseph Smith with all of his boundless optimism" to the LDS Church's lay ministry.

"Your next-door-neighbor could be the bishop and you, who are the CEO of American Express, could be playing piano for the choir," she said. "I mean, I love that part of it."

The documentary is built like a good news story: An issue is raised; people who come down on one side of the issue have their say; people on the other side of the issue have their say; the viewers are left to draw their own conclusions.

"It's a thematic portrait, not a chronological portrait," Whitney said. "It is not exhaustive, it is not comprehensive, it is thematic. ... I think film is at its best when it chooses a few big ideas and pursues them."

2 comments

Recent comments

please say where and/or when this documentary can be purchased....

raben | Feb. 18, 2008 at 6:07 p.m.

I would like to know if this documentary is on DVD? I live in New...

Rob McKay | Oct. 3, 2007 at 4:29 p.m.

+ Click to enlarge
"The Mormons" explores many aspects of the LDS Church, including missionary work, temples and founder Joseph Smith. The LDS Church cooperated with the filmmaker but had no input on final product. (Photos provided by Time Life Pictures, Shearer Images, Museum of Church History and Art/Deseret Morning News photo illustration)
Photos provided by Time Life Pictures, Shearer Images, Museum of Church History and Art/Deseret Morning News photo illustration
"The Mormons" explores many aspects of the LDS Church, including missionary work, temples and founder Joseph Smith. The LDS Church cooperated with the filmmaker but had no input on final product.
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